Photo Elliott Burr/Town Crier Fenwick & West’s Julie O’Loughlin, right, and Director of Information Technology Kevin Moore show off their green data center.

Adopting environmentally friendly practices in a business setting is generally considered a good thing. Being recognized for it, however, is a bonus, according to Fenwick & West LLP’s Julie O’Loughlin.

Her law firm’s Mountain View office last month was named a winner of Acterra’s 2012 Business Environmental Awards for its green data center, which houses Fenwick & West’s computer systems and components. The firm earned the Sustainable Built Environment Award from Acterra, a Palo Alto-based non-profit agency. An awards reception is scheduled May 31 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto.

Photo Courtesy Of Peg Champion Dr. John McBirney, outside his Los Altos dental office on Second Street, competed in the Drive Less Challenge last year, challenging himself to give up “selfish habits.”

Earth Day is Sunday, which means GreenTown Los Altos is gearing up for its Drive Less Challenge.

For a two-week period starting Sunday, local residents are asked to challenge themselves to drive their cars less and instead use an alternative form of transportation to run errands and get to and from work or school.

Residents of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills are one step closer to more affordable solar power.

In January, GreenTown Los Altos joined three other cities – Hillsborough, Portola Valley and Woodside – in SunShares, an innovative group-buy program. Sponsored by the Bay Area Climate Collaborative, the program helps local communities advance their sustainability goals.